Happy Halloween from Buzz Lightyear and his friend the Spider

Happy Halloween! We hope that you all enjoyed the day as much as we did. Carter has anxiously been waiting for today for about a month and I can say without a doubt he wasn't disappointed nor was Elijah! The boys received special treats from Nanny and Pappy, G.G., Nini and Mimi and Poppy and then capped the night off by trick or treating at all the neighbor's houses. Carter brought back Buzz Lightyear for the second year in a row and Elijah was the cutest Spider ever!
Even though Eli is new to this whole walking thing he spent most of the night up on his feet walking from door to door. He smiled in amazement at the fact that people were giving him candy for no other reason than he looked cute! Life is good.

This is the look of two little boys heading for a sugar coma. We quickly cut off their candy supply and hid the bag of goodies.

The biggest tractor ever!

Brian's company has been doing some work on a John Deere tractor recently. The tractor arrived a couple weeks ago at Rexroth and leaves for home in Iowa this weekend. This tractor in particular will never be sold, it is to remain a demo for John Deere. Knowing how much Carter loves tractors I took the boys over to see it today. It is the largest tractor I have ever seen!


Brian, Elijah and Carter take a spin around the lot. As you can see the cab is so large it has a driver and passenger seat.
Yes, he is totally driving.

How big is that tire, Carter? This is the front tire of the tractor.

This is the rear tire. Eli looks so tiny in front of it.

Future John Deere employee???

The Pumpkin Carvers

Last night we carved our Jack-O-Lanterns. We all had a great time and the boys were actually very neat and made hardly any mess, an extra unexpected bonus for me! The boys laughed and helped each other scoop out their pumpkins. First we all picked a pumpkin.......

......then the carving begins.

The boys patiently wait for Brian to carve the lids........

......now everyone SCOOP!

Nice job, Carter!

Elijah has such a good time scooping.

Our creations....The Lansek Jack-O-Lanterns of 2008. The order follows, Brian, Jamie, Carter and Elijah. It should be noted that Carter drew his face with little help. Mommy, of course, did the carving.

Be sure to check back for Trick or Treat pictures.

School Update

This week at school was a little bit crazy. Originally we were suppose to go to the farm for a field trip on Tuesday and then have a Halloween celebration on Thursday. The rain, wind and snow caused a cancellation of the farm trip and ended up being a regular class day. Carter took Woody and Buzz and presented them for show & tell. I asked if his classmates liked Woody and Buzz and got the standard..."it's a secret."

Thursday we went to the farm. Although it was wonderfully sunny there was also a ferocious wind that was COLD. The reason I know it was cold is because Carter hopped off the tractor, picked the first pumpkin he saw and was ready to head home. Anyone who knows Carter knows that given the opportunity to run through an open space can consume hours! Below is the only picture that I snapped off....I was also ready to get back to the warm car ASAP.
Next Tuesday the school is closed for election day.....Be sure to VOTE! Thursday will host the Halloween Party and Brian, Eli and I are looking forward to attending and joining in the fun.

18 Month Check-Up

Elijah had his 18 month check-up this morning. (Gosh....18 months went by quickly!) All checked out fine. He is a healthy, happy boy! The physician's assistant was happy to hear that he has started walking...his continued progress pleased her and he doesn't have to go back until June for his 2 year appointment.

His stats:
31 1/2 inches long
22 lbs. 13 oz.

It should be noted that Eli had three vaccinations and Carter received the flu shot and they both did great!

Train Day in Jim Thorpe

We spent today in Jim Thorpe enjoying a gorgeous fall day aboard the train and exploring the town. Jeven and Julie visited this weekend from NYC and we decided a family outing was in order. Carter loves trains so this seemed perfect. The end result was a great day for all.


Uncle Jeven, Aunt Julie and Elijah check out the train station.



Daddy and Carter wait to board the train.

Here's our ride pulling into the station. All Aboard......

Carter spent some time with the conductor talking trains.

First time trying hot apple cider....he loved it!

Brian and Carter were inseparable for the most of the day.
Hello Family! Poppy are you ignoring the shutterbug?

We had to stop on the tracks to let an oncoming freight train pass by. Carter and Mimi wait for the train that's coming our way.

While waiting to head back to the station my dad pointed out this handsome old oak tree.

I thought that this late into October most of the trees would be bare. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the mountain was still flaunting fall's beauty.

Carter watched out of both sides of the train (we were lucky that our car was empty) so he wouldn't miss anything.
Look at you Big Boy!

Elijah and his Poppy hang out together.

My conductor and engineer.

This town of Jim Thorpe is beautiful and unique with in itself. It always amazes me that every time I go back there is something new that I discover. Below are some pictures I snapped off will wandering around the charming downtown area. We didn't get to visit all that we wanted to, so we are hoping Jeven and Julie come back soon so we can head back.

Town hall. What a beautiful view facing the mountain.

This is a bed and breakfast. I loved the entryway.

This was the jail until 1995. This is also where four of the 'Molly Maguires' were executed. (story below) One of the Molly Maguires claimed his innocence and to prove so left a hand print on the inside of his cell. The hand print remains there today even thought the cell has been painted several times. Somehow the hand print always reappears....or so the story goes.

Elijah and Daddy groove to the music as we head back to the car.

A very special thank you to my boys, Elijah and Carter, who were so well behaved. We were up and out the door early and neither one had a nap. Both remained pleasant, happy and polite!

School Week in Review

It's hard to believe that another school week has come and gone. This week the theme was Nuts to You and Carter made this cute little squirrel craft. The religion theme was Joshua & Jericho. The shape a square and the color was, of course, orange. Fall continues to be the theme which is carried through to the songs and games the kids have been learning.
Happy little Jack-O-Lantern. Nice color job, Buddy. Carter loves markers...thank goodness they are all washable these days.

Carter also had the show & tell bag on Thursday. He decided to take Woody and Buzz. Sadly they never left the bag because.........

......the firetruck came to school! In all the excitement there was no time for show & tell yesterday and Mrs. McAtee said to bring Woody and Buzz back in a couple of weeks. Somehow I think that the firetruck trumped show & tell!

Carter's class also celebrated two birthdays this week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Carter has certainly been enjoying all the special treats and singing Happy Birthday to his friends!

This coming week we have a field trip to a local farm and the Halloween Party. Look for some great pictures to come.

Ta-Da! Way to go Eli!

Watch him GO! This is what we have been waiting for. All the way across the living room he walked.....it's amazing the what one will do for Mommy's cell phone. Elijah we are so proud of you our hearts are ready to burst!

Mommy's note: Sorry to all....I forgot that I always must take video horizontally. Someone please help me with my lack of technical skills because I can't figure out how to rotate this clip to save my life!

Thanks, Dad

Carter loved the fort his Dad made for him so much that he feel asleep in it tonight.

The Mysteries of Life

I am just wondering why on most days I have to fight Carter tooth (no pun intended) and nail to get him to brush his teeth but this afternoon he decided to brush his teeth on his own?! You can see how efficient three toothbrushes works.

Lockdown

All of the cabinets in our kitchen and bathroom still have child safety locks on them....that's what happens when your children are two years apart I suppose. Believe me, I look forward to lock-free days because quite honestly I still forget from time to time to disengage the locks when searching for pots, pans or bowls and end up flying backward as I try in vain to pull open a drawer or cabinet. Anyway back to the point......

All of the cabinets but one.....the snack drawer! This little drawer is the one used the most in our house, no doubt and after three long years of abuse the child lock simply broke. Out of what can be described only as laziness the lock was never replaced allowing Carter to have free reign over his snack choices (great parenting, I know. lucky for us he tends to prefer the healthier snacks) and abundance of food wasted.

Finally this weekend tired of finding goldfish on the floor and the need to vacuum three times a day Brian installed a new lock thus putting our snacks on lock down! How wonderful for me....no more wrestling a pretzel bag from Carter at 8am! Carter, however, not a happy camper! He just doesn't understand why we would take his snacks away! Ah Yes....we are able to continue our title of 'the nastiest mommy and daddy ever!' (that is a direct quote from Carter)

Weekend Happenings

WOW! I can't believe another weekend has come and gone. We had another action packed, fun-filled good time this past weekend.

On Friday Brian and I were lucky enough to escape the boys overnight and go out to dinner and the Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood show at the State Theatre with two other couples. We had a fantastic dinner and laughed like crazy at the show. We are so lucky to blessed with wonderful friends and wonderful family.....thank you Mom & Dad for watching the boys!


On Saturday the boys and I relaxed while Brian mowed and then later in the afternoon we talk a nice walk on the path and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine.

Elijah enjoys a snack as he rolls down the path.
Carter made it his job to collect any sticks he found on the path.

Hundreds of beautiful leaves float down this little brook on their way to the Bushkill Creek.

I am so happy Brian was with us on Saturday to see these guys....real wildlife. We see squirrels, ducks, many different species of birds and there are also signs of deer everywhere but this was our first time seeing wild turkey. There were a total of three hens (one had already quickly made her way back to cover) but no gobblers. Brian was in heaven watching them.

Carter and his Dad stop to check out an old railway bridge. Carter is obsessed with this bridge and will walk as far as it takes to reach it.

Mommy, Daddy and Elijah pose in front of some fall foliage. Carter wanted nothing to do with our impromptu family photo shoot.

Carter heads home with his most prized stick of the day.

On Sunday we went to a Halloween Party and the boys had a great time. Carter found a bowl of candy and was able to sneak piece after piece until we caught onto him and Eli enjoyed all of the attention he got...and also all the yummy snacks that were offered.

You can't see his whole costume but trust me he is the cutest spider ever!

Christi had the great idea of raking a huge pile of leaves. This provided hours of blissful playing.

Carter gets ready to take his turn at the pinata. Just what we needed...more candy!